Car or Train from Rome to Siena via Orvieto

There is only a Hertz office in Orvieto and is closed on weekends from Saturday at around noon till Monday morning, therefore if you intend to get a car you must do so in Rome, where most offices in the city center are open on Sundays as well. Whether you want to go by train or car is entirely your choice. To visit the towns you mention a car is not necessary. However, if you use public transportation, I recommend you change your itinerary and visit Siena while in Florence (it’s an easy day trip by bus from Florence, approx 75 min each way). Or you can visit Siena before or after visiting Florence. Going to Pisa or Lucca is also more easily done from Florence than from Siena.

Grazie Roberto, I had a feeling that the rental in Rome would be the answer. While a car might not be necessary to get from point A to point B, we like the scenery and photo opps from the back roads. (We have driven in Italy before.)

Hello Kay, none of your itinerary requires a car, all the places listed can easily be reached by public transportation. Is there a reason you feel you need the headache and expense of a car? For example, in Orvieto you will need to pay to park your car outside of the old town and use the elevator (and/or bus or funicular) to get up into the old town. J

Rome to Orvieto is easy by train, Orvieto to Siena needs two local trains with a change in Chiusi, so it can take between 2 and 1/2 hours to 3 and 1/2, depending on the time to be spent at Chiusi. Let us say that the Chiusi/Siena line is very rural; you could love or hate it. - In general, going to Siena and stopping in Orvieto may be a bit tiring.

Grazie, Joanne and Lachera, I appreciate the time that you took to answer. However, as I told Roberto, we have specific reasons for wanting to drive. We wish to see the beauty of the countryside, not just cities.